This invention relates to a non-electric detonator for explosives and in particular to a non-electric detonator that does not contain a percussion element.
The safety of blasting operations has been greatly improved by the use of non-electric detonators actuated by a low energy detonating cord (LEDC). Typical non-electric detonators and assemblies using these detonators and LEDC lines are shown in Yunan U.S. Pat. No. 4,426,933 issued Jan. 24, 1984, Mitchell, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,867 issued Jan. 29, 1985, Day et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,909 issued Sept. 10, 1985, Bryan U.S. Pat. No. 4,335,652 issued June 22, 1982, Yunan U.S. Pat. No. 4,424,747 issued Jan. 10, 1984, Yunan U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,152 issued Feb. 3, 1981, and Yunan U.S. Pat. No. 4,429,632 issued Nov. 11, 1980. However, these non-electric detonators require intimate contact between the LEDC, the percussion element or shell containing a layer of a sensitive explosive material. Such structures work on shock transmission either to initiate the sensitive explosive or to pinch the powder in the percussion element against an anvil or rim. These detonators with either a percussion element or a shock sensitive explosive contained in a shell may fail to initiate the detonator due to poor cord to element contact and may under some circumstances be accidentally triggered to set of the explosive charge. To further improve the safety of detonators, it would be desirable to either eliminate the percussion element or conceal and protect the sensitive explosive in a plastic body. This invention makes possible the design of a detonator without a percussion element or without an exposed portion of a shell containing a sensitive explosive for use with a LEDC that would consistently fire and be reliable for use in a blasting assembly.